Latching assembly



Oct. 5, 1954 A. J. BRAUN LATCHING ASSEMBLY Filed March l0, 1951JNVENTQR.

,Erma/1 Patented Oct. 5, 1954 UNITED STATS ATENT OFFICE 2,690,921iA'roHING ASSEMBLY August john Braun, Chicago, Ill. Agliiaao Maren 1o,1951, serial No. 214,98'2

l Claim. l

The present invention relates to a latch assembly and is more`particularly concerned with a device of this type which is especiallysuitable for fastening cooperating edge portions of separable parts of acontainer structure, such Aas a closure or lid and a receptacle orcasing having an opening adapted to be closed by said closure or lid.

According to the present invention a nxed abutment such as a hook on oneof said parts is adapted to be engaged by a claw member hinged on areversely-directed handle lever pivotally attached totheother ofsaidparts, and the joint by which the Clav/ member is hinged on the handlelever constitutes a toggle joint whereby when the claw member is in aposition to engage the hook the toggle joint is rotatable away from thehook and beyond the position of dead center to vcause the claw toforcible engage the hook and thus form a 4secure fastening of the parts.

It is an important object of this infvention to provide alatehassemblyof the typedescribed which is simple and eicient in operationand which is cheap to manufacture.

4It is a further object of this invention to provide a latch assemblywhich is pleasing in appearance.

A still further object resides in the provision of a latchassemblyarrangernent wherein the elements thereof which straddle thecooperating edges of the parts of the structure carrying Saidlathmechanism areso confined wheni'n u nloclg'ed condition and the partsof the' `structure are separated that said edges are free from overhangby said latch elements.

Other and more specific objects of this invention will appear from thedescription which follows:

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a` top plan view showing fragmentary areas of separable partsof a typical structure with which the present latching assembly isadapted to function, said latching assembly being illustrated in aposition to fasten said parts in locked position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View thereof, with the parts or" thestructure to which the latching assembly is applied being shown insection.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. i is a similar' view wherein the elements of the latching assemblyare shown in full lines, and showing in dotted lines the relativeposition of said elements when the lever is positioned to locate theclaw member over the hook.

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in Vsection taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3, andpartly in elevation.

Fig. 6 is avertical sectional -view, like Fig. 3, but showing amodiedform of hook.

Referring,Y more particularly, to the drawings, separable parts I0 andII,. having cooperating edges, meeting as atIZ, representaftypicalstructure, in connection with which a latching assemf bly embodying thefeatures of. this invention adapted to be employed. A plate I3 fastenedto the part Il l by screws, I4, or any other suitable fastening means,has anend portion ,away from the edgesIZ, which is bent upwardly atanacute `angle relative to the surface of the part I0 to form a-hook I5, A.bracketor attachment .plate I5 xed by screws, orthe like.,y II on thepart II of said container structure is plovded withtrunnions I8 on whicha lever I9,is mounted for swinging movementtoward andvawaynfrom thecooperating edges I2 of the parts I0 and ,I,I As shown in Fig. 4, thelever I9 is thusadaptedto rotate about the trunnions I8 as a pivotbetween a depressed position and a raised position relativetothesurfaceofthe 1oart.I I.`

The claw member-` comprises ahousing hav-. ing spaced apartsidesZIconnected atineedge by across-web 22. Correspondingsides. 2.3. o n thehandle lever I'I are straddled by `ears forming extensions of the sides2| of the clawmember in a`V direction away from thecrossrweb 2 2 ,and atransverse bearing pin or shaft 2. extending through aligned openings in4said ears en the clawinember and the sides of the handlaleverl'l-flpasdthefebr Dtdidesa pivot .Gratis about which' the claw member isrotatable relative to the handle lever I 'I parallel to the axis ofmovement of the latter about the trunnions I8. The tra-nsverse edge 25of the claw member away from the cross-web 22 presents an abutmentengageable by the surface of the handle lever I1 opposite thereto tolimit movement of the latter in the direction of the cooperating edgesI8 and I9.

As shown in dotted lines of Fig. 4, wherein the handle lever I'I is thusshown in a depressed position, the pivot 24 is located above a line A-Athrough the pivot I6 of the handle lever I'I and the hook It, and theclaw member is situated over the hook in readiness for engagement withthe hook IIJ or for movement of the claw member in unison with therotation of the handle lever I "I to the full-line position. Theinterfacing surfaces of the sides 2I of the claw member and the sides ofthe handle lever I'I about the pivot 24 have such binding engagementtherebetween as to releasably hold the claw member and handle lever inselected relatively rotated positions when the claw member is disengagedfrom the hook l5.

Upon rotating the handle lever l1 to the raised position as shown indotted lines in Fig. 4, the claw member is accordingly restored to aposition wherein the cross-web 22 is again in readiness to engage thehook l5, whereupon by downward pressure applied manually against theclaw member of sufficient force to overcome the binding relation of thelatter relative to the handle lever I1 about the pivot 24 accompanied bysimilar pressure against the handle lever l'l the latter in returning toits position at the limit of movement away from the claw member actsthrough the pivot 24 to draw the claw member toward the handle leverwith the result that the crossyweb 22 is pressed into firm engagementwith the hook I5. Due to the movement of the pivot 24 across theimaginary line A-A to a position below the latter in accordance withsuch rotation of the handle lever in a direction away from the hook I0,the pivot 24 serves as a toggle joint which prevents unlocking movementof the parts until the lever is returned to an erect position to breakthe toggle joint.

The transverse edge of the handle lever l1 facing away from the clawmember is preferably arranged to occupy a position in spaced relation tothe surface of the part Il when in a collapsed position and the handleis relatively close thereto as shown in Fig. 3, so as to provide acomfortable finger gripping surface for moving the lever I1 into anerect position. This edge is also curled inwardly in the form of ahollow bead 25 on the underside of the lever l'l. A spring member 2'1having one end crimped within said bead and its opposite end portionbearing against a notch 28 in the edge of the attaching plate or bracketI3 between the trunnions I6, is secured under tension against theunderface of the handle lever I'I whereby the latter is yieldably biasedinto a depressed position as shown in Fig. 3. Accordingly the springmember 21 provides means through which the handle lever l'l and the clawmember are normally rotated into a position away from the meeting edgesI2 of the structure with which the latching assembly cooperates, so asto leave said edges free from overhang by the claw member when thelatter is disengaged from the hook I0.

Fig-6 illustrates a modied form of hook 29 which is formed as part of anintegral abutment with the body of a structure 30 in connection withwhich a handle lever I1 and claw member as described in connection withthe latch assembly shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is similarlyoperative to fasten the cooperating edges of the structure 30 and a part3l.

It will be noted that the claw member in either form of hook shown inFigs. 1 to 5 inclusive or Fig. 6 provides a housing adapted to concealthe hook from view when the claw member is in locked engagementtherewith. Thus the appearance of the latch assembly contemplated bythis invention is a feature of improvement over latch assemblyarrangements heretofore in use.

It will be understood that numerous modifications and rearrangements ofstructure may be made from that illustrated without departing from thespirit of the invention as set forth in the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A latch assembly for fastening cooperating edge portions of separableparts of a structure comprising a hook secured on one of said partsfacing away from said edge portions, a bracket secured to the other ofsaid parts having an extension in the direction o said edge portionsprovided with integral trunnions spaced apart lengthwise of said edgeportions, a lever supported on said trunnions for swinging movementbetween raised and depressed positions relative to said bracket, amember supported on the lever for swinging movement about an axis whichaxis is oset from the dead center line intersecting the hook and thetrunnions so that movement of the lever between raised and depressedpositions causes said axis to be shifted across said dead center line,said member being adapted to be moved into a position over said hookwhen the lever is in raised position, hook engaging means on the memberwith which the hook cooperates to lock said parts in xed. relation bymovement of the lever from raised position to depressed position whilethe member is positioned over the lock, said lever having a hollow beadformed at the underside of its swinging end which bead faces thetrunnions, and a spring member having one end trapped within said beadand its opposite end portion bearing on the edge of the bracket betweensaid trunnions operative to yieldably bias said lever into a depressedposition.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,603,418 Scheider Oct. 19, 1926 2,462,282 Pickford Feb. 22,1949

